How can we men help the #metooIndia movement? Some say "step up", some say "don't drown out women's voices." Some (men) ask, "why should we do anything at all?" So this here is a rolling compilation of what we should do and why:
1/n. Offer your time. Many men want to be seen as doing good too, which is OK. But now is not the time to seek the spotlight. Volunteer to do background work. For eg: If there's a march, offer to arrange refreshments, or just show up.
2/n. Offer your money. Funding is essential for most movements. There are many causes to support. For eg: offer to pay lawyer fees for those who broke their silence and are now locked in litigation. [more to come]
This effort to crowdfund is potential one way to help:
https://twitter.com/suchetadalal/status/1051780637357629440?s=21
3/n. If we men want to speak up, but aren't sure exactly what to say, a good way is to retweet tweets by the likes of @TheRestlessQuil @Raksha_Kumar @MasalaBai @AnooBhu @ghazalawahab etc.
4/n. Believe the stories by women. We men might feel like we're under attack, but honestly these stories of sexual harassment are NOT an attack on men, but about justice and patriarchy.
5/n. Read this piece: "How men can show solidarity with the #metoo movement." Applies to India too. theguardian.com/commentisfree/…
Another article that helps as well. themighty.com/2018/05/men-me…
6/n. Finally, what if we men feel guilty about our own behaviour? Even if we haven't sexually harassed/abused someone, there's a chance that we've been ass****s to women. What do we do then? +
In that case, we'd have to continue showing our support, while acknowledging that we're all products of a society that has for thousands of years treated women as inferior and playthings.
To finish with a disclaimer about the larger reality of being a man: I've been a problematic male. For years, I thought I was 'woke' when I wasn't even close to it. People who know me well know this. For guys like me, shedding the chains of patriarchy is the work of a lifetime.
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